Syrups are produced from starch, which is liquefied in the presence of acid or enzymes or both to convert the starch to smaller carbohydrate chains. The particular carbohydrate composition of the syrup is determined by the starting material as well as the acid and/or enzyme used, the temperature and pH at which the starch is liquefied, and the length of time the starch is exposed to the acid and/or enzyme. For example, the conversion of starch can be halted at an early stage resulting predominantly in polysaccharides, which generally produce low-to-medium sweetness syrups, or the conversion can be allowed to proceed until the carbohydrates are nearly all dextrose, which generally produce sweet syrups.
Syrups are widely used in the manufacture of foods and beverages. In many cases, it is the individual saccharides or groups of saccharides (in other words, the carbohydrate composition) that determine syrup characteristics. High conversion starch syrups with more than 25% total mono- and di-saccharides and/or typically a dextrose equivalence (DE) of over 40 are used in various food products as sweeteners, for example, whereas low conversion starch syrups with less than 25% total mono- and di-saccharides and/or typically less than DE of 40 have wide applications owing to their many useful characteristics, such as low sweetness, high viscosity, superior water retention, heat stability, and chemical stability. These physiochemical properties are of particular importance to food manufacturing practices. Properties, such as appearance, texture, and mouthfeel of finished foods and beverages, are also often affected by the syrup used.